Step-ladder.



PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

M. W. REED.

STEP LADDER. APPLIOATION FILED JAN.30,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0- 806,91 5. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

M. W. REED.

STEP LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30,1905.

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UNITED "sTATEs' MELANCTHON W. REED, OF MARION, INDIANA.

STEP-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed J annary 30,1905. Serial No. 243,393.

provements in the construction of such la dders, so as to enable the convenient adjustment thereof to prop the same in various positions. In this connection it is proposed to enable the propping of the ladder against the limbs of a tree in order that the ladder may be located in the most advantageous position for access to the limbs of the tree for gathering fruit therefrom or for trimming the same. It is also designed to effect adjustment of the ladder so as to support the same against a series of shelves in such a position as to be readily shifted along the same and to give access to every portion thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide for maintaining the steps of the ladder in substantially horizontal positions in all adj ustments of the ladder and to lock the same when adjusted so as to prevent looseness and accidental tilting thereof when in use.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a step-ladder embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a lon itudinal sectionalview thereof arranged to t shelving. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts arranged to form an extension-ladder. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the top portion of the step-ladder, illustrating the manner of clamping the prop to the ladder. Fi 5 is a side elevation illustrating the lad er propped a ainst a tree. Fig. 6 is a side elevation ilIustrating another adjustment of the stepladder.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The step-section of the present ladder includes tWo pairs of spaced rails or side members, of which the front rail is designated 1 and the rear rail 2, and these rails are connected at regular intervals by means of metallic sockets or seats 3, each of which is in the nature of achannel-bracket pivotally connect: ed to the inner faces of the respective rails by means of the fastenings 4 and 5. Each step 6 is in the nature ofa flat board of the proper size, with its ends fitted into corre sponding seats or brackets'and connected thereto, as at 7, preferably by means of rivets. By this construction each step is pivotally connected to each of the side rails of the ladder, and therefore said step remains in a substantially horizontal position in any tilted or inclined position of the side rails, while at the same time all of the side rails are positively connected through the medium 0 the steps, and separation of these arts is thereby prevented. To brace this ame structure, cross-braces 8 may be employed across the back of the ladder, with their ends connected to the rear rail members 2.

At the top of each rear rail 2 is an inverted substantially L-shaped bracket 9, either cast or formed of sheet metal, applied to the outer side of the rail and provided with longitudinal flan es 10, embracing the front and back edges of the rail, the other member of the bracket being provided with longitudinal flanges 11 upon the exterior thereof to brace the same and give the maximum space between the two brackets, so as to accommodate the prop-section, which consists of substantially parallel side rails 12, connected by a series of cross bars or rungs 13 after the manner of an ordinary ladder. The upper end of each side rail 2 of the step-ladder section is beveled, as best indicated at 14 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to permit of the side rails of the prop-section fitting fiatagainst the tops of the rails 2 when the ladder is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 1.

To interlock the upper ends of the propsection and ladder-section, there is a locking cross-bar 15, fitting between the rear end portions of the brackets 9 and provided at each end with a metallic clip 16, embracing the bar and pivotally connected to the adj acent bracket by means of a fastening 17 somewhat in the manner of the connection between each step 6 and the side rails of the stepsection. The pivotal'axis of the lock ing-bar 17 is in rear of the longitudinal center of the bar, and the latter is terminally notched at each end and in its inner edge, as indicated at 18, so as to accommodate the upper end of the adjacent side rail of the prop-section. The uppermost step 6 of the step-section of the ladder is considerably Wider than the other section and extends into close proximity to the front or inner edge of the locking-bar 15, so as to lie across the top of the adjacent rung 13 of the prop section in the position of the latter, as in Fig. 1, thereby to prevent upward movement of the rung beyond the top step of the step-section while the side rails of the prop-section are held between the tops of the side rails 2 and the inner edge of the locking-bar 15. By turning the locking-bar outwardly or rearwardly it will be moved away from the side rails 12 of the prop-section sufficiently to permit of lateral movement thereof to withdraw the topmost rung from the under side of the step 6, whereupon the prop-section may be moved upwardly and one of the lower rungs engaged with the under side of the step-section 6 to secure another adjustment of the prop, the locking bar 15 of course being turned back into its original position to hold the rung beneath the step.

At each side of the ladder there is a brace 19, which is terminally pivoted to the adjacent side rail 2 of the prop-section near one end, as at 20, the front end of the brace being enlarged and pivotally connected to the adj acent rear rail 2 of the ladder-section, as indicated at 21, which pivotal connection is formed by the fastening which pivotally connects the adjacent socket 3 to the rail. The front extremity of the brace 19is cut or beveled, as at 22, so as to engage a stop shoulder or projection 23, carried by the adjacent front rail 1, and is preferably in the nature of a head upon the fastening which connects the adjacent socket 3 to said rail. By reason of the front ends of the braces 19 engaging the stop projections or shoulders 23 the frame of the ladder-section is rendered rigid and prevented from collapsing upon the piv otal connections between the side rails and the steps, while the ladder-section and the prop-section are braced and held against individual movements, whereby the entire step-ladder is rendered rigid in this set-up condition.

Of the several adjustments of which the present ladder is capable a few of them have been shown in the accompanying drawings. In Fig. 2 of the drawings the ladder has been shown adjusted to give access to a tier of book shelves, the prop section being disposed in substantial vertical relation and projected a suitable distance above the top of the step-section, so as to have its bottom rest upon the ledge at the bottom of the tier of book-shelves. Fig. 3 shows the prop adjusted into substantial parallelism with the step-sections, so as to form an extension-ladder, there being a hook 24 hinged to the un der side of one of the steps of the step-section in position to engage one of the rungs of the prop-section and retain the lower end of the prop-section against the back of the stepsection when the ladder is employed as an extension-ladder. When employing the ladder as an extension-ladder, the prop should be entirely withdrawn from between the locking-bar 15 and the uppermost step 6 then inverted upon its pivotal connections 20 with the braces 19, and then thrust upwardly between the locking-bar and the top step in order that it may be projected to the greatest extent above the top of the laddersection. Another adjustment of the ladder has been shown in Fig. 5, wherein the propsection is entirely removed from between the locking-bar 15 and the up ermost step 6, with its shorter upper en inclined downwardly and forwardly and introduced between a pair of the upper steps of the step section, its longer end portion being inclined upwardly and placed against the limb of a tree so as to support the step-section in a po sition to give convenient access to the outer portions of the limbs of the tree to enable the gathering of fruit and the trimming of the tree. Still another adjustment has been shown in Fig. 6, wherein the prop-section assumes a substantially vertical position, with the lower end of each brace 19 engaging the adjacent stop shoulder or projection 23 to rigidly lock the frame structure of the ladder. From the foregoing description it will be understood that the present ladder includes two main sectionsviz., the step-section and the prop-section, the step-section carrying at its upper end means for adjustably interlocking the prop-section therewith and the propsection capable of being adjusted vertically so as to extend the ladder and also to support the step-section at different inclinations, there also being braces extending between the prop-section and the ladder-section to maintain the structure rigid and upon which the rop-section may be inverted to accommo ate the ladder to different adjustments.

A very important advantage of the present ladder resides in the fact that the steps are maintained in substantially horizontal positions in any adjustment of the ladder, and at the same time they are held against tilting and looseness when the ladder has been set up in any of its adjusted positions.

The rop and ladder sections may be disengaged by elevating the rear rails 2 of the ladder so as to tilt upwardly the rear edge of the up er wide step 6 and afterward turning the loc ing-bar 15 rearwardly or outwardly,

whereupon the prop section may be raised or lowered to engage any one of its rungs beneath the step 6".

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a ladder, the combination of a stepsection, a prop-section including side rails and connecting-rungs, the uppermost step of the step-section being extended to engage across the top of one of the rungs of the propsection, and clamping means carried by the step-section to engage the prop-section and hold one of the rungs of the ladder beneath the extended step.

2. In a ladder, the combination of a stepsection, a prop-section including side rails and connecting-rungs, the uppermost step of the step-section being extend ed to engage over the top of one of the rungs, and a locking rock-bar carried by the upper end of the step-section in rear of the extended uppermost step to bear against the prop and detachably hold one of the rungs beneath the extended step.

3. In a ladder, the combination of a stepsection, a prop-section including side rails and connecting-rungs, the uppermost step of the step-section being extended rearwardly to engage over the top of one of the rungs, brackets carried by the upper portion of the step-section and extended rearwardly, and a locking rock-bar pivotally supported between the brackets in a position to bear against the back of the prop-section and hold one of the rungs thereof beneath the upper extended step.

4. In a ladder, the combination of a stepse'c'tion, a prop-section including side rails and connecting-rungs, the uppermost step of the step-section being extended rearwardly to engage over the top of a rung, brackets I carried by the top of the step-section and exsection and permit of the latter being moved to withdraw the rung from beneath the extended step. a

5. In a ladder, the combination of a stepsection, a prop-section capable of different angular adjustments with respect thereto, a

brace pivotally connected at opposite ends to the step-section and the prop-section, and a stop projection carried by the step-section in cooperative relation with the adjacent end of the brace, said end of the brace being beveled for engagement with the stop projection in different adjusted positions of the ladder tolock the same in rigid condition.

6. In a ladder, the combination of a stepsection including front and rear side rails and steps pivotally connected to the'respective side rails, a prop capable of different angular adjustments with respect to the step-section, a brace pivotally connected at opposite ends to the prop and one of the rear rails of the step-section, and a stop projection carried by the adjacent front rail in position for engagement by the adjacent end of the brace to lock the ladder in rigid condition.

7 In a ladder, the combination of a stepsection including spaced front and rear rails and steps pivotally connected to the rails to assume substantially horizontal positions in any inclined position of the step-section, brackets carried by the upper ends of the rear rails and extending rearwardly therefrom, the uppermost step being extended rearwardly between the brackets, a locking-bar terminally pivoted between the brackets in rear of its longitudinal axis and capable of being turned inwardly into close proximity with the rear end of the extended step and of being turned rearwardly and away from the step, a prop-section including side rails and connecting-rungs, the prop-section capable of being inserted between the brackets and in front of the locking-bar with one of its rungs engaging the under side of the projected upper step, the locking-bar serving to engage the prop and hold the rung thereof beneath said upper extended step, braces pivotally connected to the prop and the respective rear rails of the step-section, and stop projections carried by the front rails in position for engagement with the adjacent ends of the respective braces to lock the ladder in rigid condition.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MELANOTHON w. REED.

Witnesses WALTER S. NEAL, JOHN D. FERREE. 

